Read raw data

The following example shows you how to read raw data as part of a common workflow.

Tip: For further guidance on reading raw data, take a look at the Android Developer video for reading and writing data in Health Connect.

Simple read

The Steps data type in Health Connect captures the number of steps a user has taken between readings. Step counts represent a common measurement across health, fitness, and wellness platforms. Health Connect makes it simple to read and write step count data.

The following example shows how to read step count data for a user in a time interval:

suspend fun readStepsByTimeRange(
    healthConnectClient: HealthConnectClient,
    startTime: Instant,
    endTime: Instant
) {
    try {
        val response =
            healthConnectClient.readRecords(
                ReadRecordsRequest(
                    StepsRecord::class,
                    timeRangeFilter = TimeRangeFilter.between(startTime, endTime)
                )
            )
        for (stepRecord in response.records) {
            // Process each step record
        }
    } catch (e: Exception) {
        // Run error handling here.
    }
}

Note: It is highly recommended to leverage aggregation instead of reading raw data individually to avoid issues with duplicate data. You can set smaller time slices whenever you aggregate.

Read previously written data

If an app has written records to Health Connect before, it is possible for that app to read them back without requiring a Read permission to those specific records. This is applicable to scenarios in which the app needs to resync with Health Connect after the user has reinstalled it.

To read data in this scenario, you need to indicate the package name as a DataOrigin object in the dataOriginFilter parameter of your ReadRecordsRequest.

The following example shows how to indicate a package name when reading Steps records:

try {
    val response =
        healthConnectClient.readRecords(
            ReadRecordsRequest(
                recordType = StepsRecord::class,
                timeRangeFilter = TimeRangeFilter.between(startTime, endTime),
                dataOriginFilter = setOf(DataOrigin("com.my.package.name"))
            )
        )
    for (record in response.records) {
        // Process each record
    }
} catch (e: Exception) {
    // Run error handling here.
}

Restriction

Reading data with Health Connect is restricted to applications running in the foreground. This restriction is in place to further strengthen user privacy. This assures users that Health Connect does not have background read access to their data, and that data is only read and accessed in the foreground.

For situations in which interruptions are tolerable, such as displaying a reading in your application, read directly from Health Connect to your client application.

For situations in which you prefer no interruptions, such as reading a range of data from Health Connect then writing and uploading it elsewhere, use a ForegroundService, rather than an Activity where it can be quickly dismissed.